Chapter 089: Mission Complete: Human, Ghost, and Emotional Bond 

Is it not enough to compare with a young girl being murdered, dismembered, her bones made into a chair, and sent to her father's office? Is that not excessive?

But Lin Ye didn't speak; he waited instead.

"Do you know what that father and daughter did?"

The Akiyama possessing Kyozaki showed a cold smile. Even now, he was filled with resentment and anger.

"After I became the art teacher at the school,"

 "I worked diligently, doing my job well, fulfilling my duties as a teacher, and teaching art to the best of my ability,"

 "But six months after starting, rumors began to spread about me and Miyuki,"

 "A teacher-student romance."

As expected, a teacher-student romance.

This topic has always been a sensitive area.

It might be more accepted in universities, but in high school, even in Japan, most people cannot accept a teacher-student romance.

"Me, in a relationship with Miyuki? Hahaha, what a joke. I admit she's beautiful. In the whole school, no girl is more beautiful than her. Of all the girls I've met in over twenty years, only a handful can be considered more beautiful than her."

Thinking about her cold, graceful face, Akiyama couldn't help but admit that her frosty beauty, as the school's ice queen, deeply touched a man's soul.

"But I'm a teacher! I know my position and my role. I also have a beloved fiancée, and we've already set a marriage date. We're about to get married soon. How could I have a teacher-student romance with her?"

His eyes were filled with madness,

 Memories of past joys and anger intertwined in his strong emotions, steadily rising.

Lin Ye quietly observed,

 He had a guess about what would happen next.

"I thought ignoring the rumors would be enough. No one would believe such absurdities. But I misjudged people. The rumors only became more aggressive, circulating among the students, and even walking through the hallways, I could feel the sharp gazes and low whispers from students and colleagues,"

 The suffocating feeling of being scrutinized,

 Even now, thinking back, Akiyama gritted his teeth, filled with anger. His hand tightly pressed against his chest.

"Even worse, during my class, a student directly confronted me. Do you understand that feeling? Do you know what it's like?"

Seeing that Lin Ye didn't answer, Akiyama actually laughed.

"That continued for days. I repeatedly told the students and teachers that it was all nonsense, that there was no truth to it, and asked them to stop gossiping,"

 "During that time, I thought she would step in. I thought these rumors had affected her to some extent,"

 "But she never spoke up. She continued to maintain her usual cold demeanor."

"Maybe, in her eyes, these rumors didn't matter. From what I think, since childhood, she probably has faced countless rumors and gossip. Beautiful girls are always the subject of gossip and scandal; she must be used to it."

Unlike Akiyama, Miyuki completely ignored the gossip. She let the students talk, never caring, simply disregarding it.

In terms of emotional resilience, Miyuki was on an entirely different level from Akiyama.

"My fiancée found out about it at some point. She questioned me, and I denied it. I said I didn't have a teacher-student relationship with Miyuki. At first, she believed me, but eventually, even she began to doubt me,"

 "The school publicly addressed the issue. The student council also started to guide the student body's opinions,"

 "The rumors began to die down, discussions among students decreased, and things began to return to normal. I thought it was all over, but do you want to know what happened next?"

Akiyama closed his eyes,

 He recalled that day.

It was a rainy day when he was called to the principal's office.

"The school's principal, Kuroshima Yuichi, her father, contacted me,"

 "He asked me to resign after the rumors died down."

 "Resign? Why should I? Why should I resign when I did nothing wrong?"

"Is it because the rumors are tied to me, affecting the school's reputation? Doesn't this also have something to do with his daughter?"

"I'll resign if he can make his daughter drop out. If he can do that, I'll leave immediately."

"But Kuroshima Yuichi knew that if I resigned then, the rumors would be confirmed, and the quiet rumors would start circulating again."

"So, he compromised and didn't make me resign,"

 "But then came all sorts of small problems. I don't know who's behind it, maybe it's Kuroshima Yuichi, maybe it's the principal's subordinates, or maybe someone else. But since I couldn't identify the culprit, I have to blame it on Kuroshima Yuichi."

Crack, crack, crack…

Akiyama's fingers clenched tightly, making sharp, crisp sounds.

"I didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to teach well, marry my fiancée, and live a happy family life. But even this small wish couldn't be fulfilled? It was all going to be taken away from me?"

"Finally, even she left me,"

 At this point, Akiyama let out a slow breath,

 "Since that's the case... then... let it explode! Let it be destroyed! Let everyone die!"

He spread his hands wide.

"I want to make Kuroshima Yuichi understand the consequences of all this, to know how it feels to lose a beloved daughter."

"The daughter he's been longing for, always by his side, when Kuroshima Yuichi learns the truth, he must be overjoyed, excited, right?"

"The missing daughter was never really gone, always by his side, hahahaha!"

"I've always been waiting for that moment, and after waiting so long, I finally saw it the moment when Kuroshima Yuichi learned the truth, he resolutely jumped from a building and committed suicide, hahahaha."

Akiyama was so excited he laughed aloud, his entire body trembling with laughter.

In the end, he succeeded. He took revenge on the Kuroshima father and daughter his daughter died horribly, the father committed suicide, and the high school that spread the rumors, because of Miyuki Kuroshima, became eerie and was eventually shut down. So, every entity that had caused him harm was destroyed.

This is the backstory of this dungeon.

It's all a tragedy.

Whose fault? Everyone's, I suppose!

But...

"Nothing to say?" Akiyama asked, instead, about Lin Ye's thoughts. "After knowing the truth, don't you have anything to say?"

"You killed the wrong person,"

Akiyama: ???

"Who spread the rumors?"

"Some students and teachers."

Yes, some teachers were also involved.

"Who was discussing you in private and looking at you strangely?"

"Some students and teachers."

The same answer again. He couldn't think of anyone else. Akiyama vaguely started to grasp what Lin Ye was trying to say.

"Who wanted you to resign?"

"Kuroshima Yuichi."

"Who do you think is behind all of this?"

"Kuroshima Yuichi."

"From the beginning to the end of this incident, did Miyuki Kuroshima play any part in it?"

"…"

No,

 She neither spread the rumors nor forced him to resign.

"But she didn't clarify things."

"She didn't care, so she didn't speak up. And in her eyes, the more you explain, the more it looks like you're trying to cover something up!"

Akiyama froze. It seemed to make sense now. Ever since he started explaining, the rumors only worsened.

He swallowed. Being entangled by the rumors, he had lost his calm, which in turn led to even more public gossip and speculation.

"In her mind, all she needed to do was ignore it. Over time, the rumors would eventually fade away."

"I also…"

"You didn't fully ignore it, did you?"

Akiyama fell silent.

In the end, he was still affected by the rumors and became more and more concerned. When did it start affecting him? It must have been when his fiancée first brought it up and questioned him!

"You could have killed Kuroshima Yuichi, you could have killed the students who spread the rumors, and even if you killed them all, I wouldn't say a word about you killing the wrong person. But Miyuki Kuroshima... you killed the wrong person. She was innocent."

Akiyama fell into dead silence.

He wanted to argue, to prove that he hadn't killed the wrong person.

But... but... it seemed like... he really had taken revenge on the wrong person.

"Her father..."

"Yeah, you killed the girl I loved, so it's no problem for me to kill your fiancée, right?"

A rhetorical question silenced Akiyama once again.

He... really had made a mistake, hadn't he?

"…"

The atmosphere in the art classroom was suffocatingly oppressive.

"Where is Chiharu Miyata?"

"I strangled her to death."

"Why?"

"Because of betrayal betrayal to her lover."

It's such a pity she died.

If she had been as steadfast as Otaku in choosing to follow him, she wouldn't have ended up being killed.

"People always find reasons to kill."

At this point, any words of condemnation would be meaningless.

"I'll give you two choices," Lin Ye said to Akiyama.

"First, come with me. As for what will happen to you, she will decide, but I think she will make you experience the pain you inflicted on her a thousand times over."

Even in death, despite her coldness and lack of emotional fluctuation towards the outside world, her form wandering eerily in the school building showed that she harbored emotions like 'hatred.'

She was definitely seeking revenge.

"What's the second choice?"

"I'll knock you down, drag you out, and let her handle you."

Akiyama laughed.

"Just you?"

"Just me."

"Ah!"

Suddenly,

Akiyama lunged forward, his face twisting into a pale, terrifying expression.

Thud...

But he quickly found himself receiving several heavy punches, his body flying sideways from the force.

He had no idea how Lin Ye did it.

"With your current state, you can't deal with me."

Perhaps Akiyama is strange condition made him unable to effectively handle Lin Ye, but now that Akiyama was possessing Kyozaki is body, his punches became effective.

"Do you think that by taking me to see her, you'll be spared? Do you think you'll successfully leave here alive?"

"That's not your concern."

Lin Ye said, his gaze steady.

A few seconds passed before he slowly spoke again.

"You don't seem willing to admit it. After all, you're still afraid of dying, afraid of her revenge. Even knowing you were wrong, you won't admit it or accept it, and you certainly won't say the word 'apology.' In some ways, there's not much difference between humans and ghosts."

Lin Ye took a step forward, his footsteps echoing in Akiyama's heart.

"I can go with you, but… you won't get the result you want."

Akiyama slowly propped himself up with one hand and made his way towards the door of the art classroom, opening it and walking outside.

The moment he stepped outside, he felt the cold, bone-chilling killing intent coming from the left side of the hallway.

Lin Ye also stepped out of the classroom and casually closed the door behind him.

"Lin-kun,"

Ryou Fujibayashi, standing on the right side of the hallway, spoke as soon as he saw Lin Ye.

"Don't come any closer. You two stay right there."

He gestured for Akiyama and Otaku to stay where they were.

Lin Ye spoke to Akiyama.

"Go."

Akiyama moved, and the two of them walked three meters closer to Miyuki Kuroshima.

"I see now,"

Akiyama suddenly understood.

"No wonder you weren't dealt with. You never felt fear."

At this point, Miyuki Kuroshima showed no sign of change, and this made Akiyama realize Lin Ye's situation.

Only someone who doesn't feel fear could avoid being harmed by Miyuki Kuroshima.

Otherwise, Lin Ye would have been killed by Miyuki Kuroshima long ago.

"Say whatever you want,"

Lin Ye said coldly.

"You didn't feel fear, so you weren't harmed by her, and I'm the same. She died at my hands, and I can still remember her screams before she died. Being what I am now, I can't feel fear because of her anymore, and she can't hurt me."

Akiyama chuckled.

"She and I are stuck here, neither of us able to defeat the other. I can't leave this school building, while she guards the president's office, dealing with visitors who are fearful and have wandered in."

"You think that by walking out of the art classroom and entering her domain, she can take revenge on me, returning the pain she suffered in life a hundredfold. That's impossible."

This is reality.

He was the killer, and maybe when he was human, he would have feared the eerie Miyuki Kuroshima. But now, even though he was weak as a ghost, he had no fear in front of Miyuki Kuroshima.

"Apologize."

Lin Ye said.

"I told you already,"

But Akiyama's words were coldly cut off by Lin Ye.

"I want you to apologize. And in return, I guarantee you will experience Miyuki Kuroshima is revenge and taste the bloody, cruel pain."

Akiyama froze.

Taste fear? Feel the revenge from Miyuki Kuroshima?

Hahaha, that's impossible. This can't be happening.

"If I don't do it, you can go back to the art classroom, take the complete skeleton, and leave here. I won't stop you."

Lin Ye made a direct promise, which made Akiyama very happy.

If Lin Ye really wanted to stop him, he wouldn't be able to leave. This guy was so strange that Akiyama had no idea how to deal with him.

"Alright."

He immediately agreed.

Akiyama looked at Miyuki Kuroshima.

Compared to his memories of her, the figure in front of him was now utterly grotesque bloody, horrifying, and hideously ugly to the extreme.

This was the result he had once desired: the ice-cold beauty had lost her unparalleled appearance, but now, there was a slight sense of regret.

"Miyuki, although I really don't want to accept this, I have indeed done something wrong. He made me realize that I took my revenge on the wrong person."

"I could kill your father, Kuroshima Yuichi, or kill every student in the school who spread and promoted rumors. But you... you are innocent. Yet, I killed you, the one I should never have killed."

"I... took my revenge on the wrong person."

"I'm sorry. Truly sorry."

He deeply bowed.

"I don't expect you to forgive me. If you can take revenge on me, I would accept it willingly. Please, feel free to come at me!"

Perhaps this was just an act, but there was a trace of sincerity in it.

Miyuki Kuroshima quietly watched, showing no sign of movement.

Akiyama straightened up and looked at Lin Ye.

"Reality is like this. She won't change because of my apology."

He knew what Lin Ye was hoping for: that his apology would bring Miyuki Kuroshima peace. But that was impossible. The only way to bring her peace was for her to personally take revenge on him.

Beyond that, he couldn't think of any other way.

But how could she take revenge on him? He wasn't afraid of Miyuki Kuroshima how could she ever exact revenge on him?

"Alright, according to our agreement, don't stop me from leaving the school."

Akiyama urged.

"Wait,"

Lin Ye called out, stopping Akiyama.

"She's reacting,"

He raised his left hand, showing the bracelet on his wrist.

"It told me that she's reacting."

Akiyama furrowed his brows.

It must be the bracelet made from Miyuki Kuroshima is hair!

"Oh! And then?"

"Are you ready to taste the flavor of fear?"

"Huh?"

Akiyama was confused.

He saw Lin Ye take two steps back, creating more space. Then Lin Ye covered his forehead with his right hand.

The next second, as he moved his hand away, Akiyama saw a glass bead, like a gem, on Lin Ye's forehead.

What was that?

He wondered, but deep down, an ominous feeling began to rise.

Could it be...?

"Ryou, turn around and cover your ears,"

"Oh!"

Ryou Fujibayashi obediently turned around and immediately covered his ears, not hesitating for a second.

At this moment, Akiyama felt an increasing sense of unease and even a faint hint of fear.

This wasn't fear of Miyuki Kuroshima it was fear of Lin Ye.

What was that thing? What was he trying to do?

"Fall into the fantasy of fear! Taste the flavor of something called fear."

Ding...

The black gem emitted an eerie black glow.

Akiyama instinctively tried to escape, but it was too late.

His eyes quickly became unfocused, and the next second, he screamed, "Ahhhhhh!"

"Don't come near me!"

"Don't come near me!"

"Stop bothering me!"

"Help! Let me go!"

"It's all your fault, and your father's fault, you... deserve it! Don't come after me!"

Akiyama collapsed to his knees, screaming and flailing his hands wildly, seemingly trying to escape and avoid it. His eyes bulged further, blood vessels spreading, as the pitch-black, despairing fear slowly ate away at his heart.

Lin Ye, on the other hand, turned to Miyuki Kuroshima. In that moment, the calm Miyuki Kuroshima's long black hair began to swirl through the air.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The next moment, countless strands of hair, like a tidal wave, surged toward Akiyama, wrapping around him. Each strand slowly pierced into him.

"Ahhhhhh!"

His screams grew even more intense.

It was unclear whether it was the fear-induced hallucinations or the physical body taking the blows, or perhaps these strands of hair were inflicting severe damage on his eerie soul.

Drip... drip...

Blood slowly trickled down, and a faint metallic scent began to spread.

The howling and screaming never ceased.

Otaku was stunned in fear, and even though Ryou Fujibayashi covered his ears, he could still hear the penetrating, heart-wrenching screams.

Ryou hesitated, curious but too scared to look. In the end, she just stood there, covering her ears and closing her eyes.

The night deepened, and the evening wind blew, becoming increasingly cold.

Lin Ye observed from the side, his own heart unconsciously trembling. He had seen killings before, but this was the first time he had witnessed someone being tortured like this.

And this wasn't even typical torture.

But this guy deserved it. He brought it upon himself. He was just tasting the pain he once inflicted on a girl.

Lin Ye didn't interfere or speak; he simply watched quietly, waiting.

The resentment and anger accumulated over countless years were finally being vented. He believed that Miyuki Kuroshima would cherish this opportunity.

Crack, crack, crack...

The sound of bones breaking echoed.

"Ahhhhhh..."

The screams, howls, and pleas for mercy alternated without end.

Finally, with one last sharp cracking sound, everything ceased.

The bloodstained black hair slowly withdrew.

All that remained was a limp, vaguely human-shaped mass of flesh.

At this sight, Lin Ye couldn't help but think that Kyozaki, even after death, had suffered along with Akiyama one more time.

"I'll go retrieve your bones and skull."

Lin Ye returned to the art classroom and placed the doll's head on a chair before walking out with it in his arms.

She quietly looked at him, giving a slight gesture, before heading toward the staircase.

"Ryou, come with me. It will be over soon."

Ryou Fujibayashi and Otaku followed Lin Ye as they arrived at the second-year class J classroom.

Miyuki Kuroshima made her way to her spot.

Due to the lack of verbal communication, Lin Ye had to rely on guesswork.

He thought for a moment before asking,

"Do you want me to help you restore it?"

He pointed to the chair.

The bracelet moved slightly.

"I understand,"

He looked at the other two,

"Ryou, Honda, please help move the desks. We need some space."

"Got it,"

The two quickly moved the desks, while Lin Ye carefully tore open the black leather chair and began extracting the bones one by one.

But... how should he arrange them?

Lin Ye had no experience with this.

He looked at Miyuki Kuroshima.

"How should I place this?"

Her black hair pointed to a spot.

"Okay,"

"Lin-kun, let me help too! I'm a nurse, I know how to arrange them."

"Alright,"

With Ryou Fujibayashi is help, the cleanup and arrangement went quickly. After about ten minutes, with their combined effort, a complete skeleton was assembled.

"Done,"

After Lin Ye and Ryou Fujibayashi stood up and stepped aside, Miyuki Kuroshima is hair quickly wrapped around the assembled skeleton. After a few seconds, it completely vanished, as if it had never been there.

"I've kept my promise to you."

Lin Ye smiled.

At the time, facing the curse of the bracelet, to be honest, he wasn't entirely confident, but considering the girl's tragic experience and the allure of the eerie object, Lin Ye chose to accept it.

One could take a gamble when the chance of success is fifty percent, and in this case, he was eighty percent sure.

Miyuki Kuroshima slowly walked up to Lin Ye. Her face, once bloodied and twisted in agony, slowly started to recover with each step. Her cold, unparalleled beauty emerged, her eyes as pure and proud as snowflakes, her figure gracefully slender.

She looked even more stunning in person than in videos or photos, unforgettable.

No wonder the rumors at that time never stopped.

It wasn't just a student-teacher love scandal it was also an attempt by some to destroy Miyuki Kuroshima. But unfortunately for them, Miyuki Kuroshima was unmoved. In fact, she had long seen through all of it, so she chose to ignore it.

But, in the end, another person had fallen.

The tragedy was inevitable.

"Thank you."

Her voice was calm like water, and the tone was as melodious as a nightingale's song.

She spoke.

Lin Ye was stunned,

 Because Miyuki Kuroshima had never spoken before, so he subconsciously thought that she was unable to speak.

"The skeleton is complete, I can speak now."

Due to the loss of her head, she had been unable to enter the art classroom, and as a result, she lost her ability to communicate verbally. Only a faint sense of reason and thought remained.

"Is there anything else I can help with?"

Lin Ye locked eyes with Miyuki Kuroshima.

"I originally thought I would have to help you bury the skeleton, to give you peace. But now, it seems that it's not necessary."

She shook her head slightly.

"No need."

"Then... what about other things? Before I leave, I'll do my best to help with anything I can."

"I... I will too,"

 Ryou Fujibayashi spoke nervously,

 Although she didn't know the details of the girl's past, she wanted to help.

And Otaku didn't need to be mentioned.

 But judging from the current image of the ice-cold beauty, he was absolutely willing, even if it meant becoming a devoted follower.

Miyuki Kuroshima didn't pay attention to Ryou Fujibayashi or Otaku. Her eyes at this moment reflected Lin Ye's face.

"No matter what, we're friends now, right?"

Lin Ye raised his left hand, indicating the bracelet made from Miyuki Kuroshima's long black hair on his wrist.

"Can I stay...?"

Her cold voice echoed.

Class F fell into silence.

Even Lin Ye seemed briefly stunned, as if his mind had short-circuited.

Stay here?

Ryou Fujibayashi thought of something, her gaze moving back and forth, unable to suppress the shock inside.

Otaku was envious!

 No wonder Lin Ye could deal with the weirdness so easily!

 He was so freaking jealous!

 He wanted to do the same!

But thinking back to how Lin Ye had acted from start to finish, Otaku felt he couldn't possibly do it. He wasn't brave enough, and there was no way he could handle it. He was scared! He would definitely be terrified.

After a while, Lin Ye snapped out of it. He vaguely understood what the girl meant, and she even showed some affection toward him.

He felt like, for the first time, everything he did was worth it.

It wasn't just about completing the task; it was about helping the person he wanted to help in the process.

"Do you want me to stay here?"

Lin Ye asked directly, like a straightforward guy.

Ryou Fujibayashi didn't know how to react. You can't just ask a girl so directly! She would be embarrassed!

"..."

Facing the gazes of the three people in the room, Miyuki Kuroshima averted her eyes, thinking for a while before answering.

"Yes."

Her voice was as calm as water, but it carried a unique, pinkish-shyness only a girl could have.

She really answered!

 Ryou Fujibayashi stared at Lin Ye, nervous about what decision he would make.

He probably... wouldn't agree, right?

 If he agreed, she and Lin Ye would be worlds apart.

But…

 Looking at Miyuki Kuroshima is stunning, cold face, Ryou Fujibayashi felt Lin Ye might actually agree.

In that moment, Ryou Fujibayashi is heart raced uncontrollably.

Lin Ye's gaze reflected Miyuki Kuroshima is beautiful face, her black hair lightly swaying.

After thinking for ten seconds, he gave his answer.

"Sorry, Miyuki-san, I... can't accept your request. I'm not from here. I... need to go back."

The classroom suddenly became cold, sending a shiver through everyone.

The temperature dropped sharply.

Otaku was shaking,

 Lin-kun! Couldn't you have said that more gently? What if she gets angry and forces you to stay?

If she keeps you here, you'll definitely enjoy it, but we won't be able to leave. That would be terrible.

He almost wanted to cry.

"If I have a chance to come back, I'll visit you. I hope you won't dislike me then."

After a while,

Miyuki Kuroshima closed her eyes and pulled her gaze away. When she opened them again, her eyes were only deep and calm.

"I'll see you off from the school."

She led the way, leaving Lin Ye with her lone figure.

Lin Ye followed behind, Ryou Fujibayashi closely following his steps, while Otaku lagged a few steps behind, keeping some distance.

In the dim and mysterious atmosphere, with Miyuki Kuroshima leading the way, the path toward the school gate gradually opened.

Soon, the school gate appeared.

The large characters 'Kyoto Private Elite High School' were clearly visible, surrounded by weeds and dust, silently narrating its decay.

"Goodbye, Miyuki Kuroshima."

Lin Ye waved and stepped back slowly.

However, just as he was about to step out of the gate, Miyuki Kuroshima quickly ran over, grabbing his wrist and pulling him into an embrace.

The next moment, she bent down and kissed Lin Ye on the lips.

Ryou Fujibayashi gasped in shock, feeling both excited and inexplicably unhappy, her emotions were complicated.

Lin Ye was stunned his first kiss was gone!

"Miyuki-san..."

Before he could finish, a force pushed him forward, and he was suddenly shoved out of the school gate.

In his ear, he vaguely heard a voice.

Suddenly weightless, he began falling rapidly.

When he regained consciousness and opened his eyes again, Lin Ye found himself standing in the hallway outside a movie theater.

A few people walked past him, seemingly having just finished watching a movie.

He was back, back to reality.

The task was complete.

But Lin Ye instinctively touched his lips with his right hand's index finger.

The soft sensation lingered, a little cold, but like jelly, it made him long for it.

He didn't expect his first kiss in this life and the last to be taken in this way.

Lin Ye couldn't help but sigh.

But it wasn't bad.

He didn't hate it.

"If I had stayed, I might have ended up with a beautiful black-haired girl as my girlfriend, huh?"

Though it was weird, she was beautiful!

But, was she truly real, or just an existence in the task world?

As Lin Ye pondered,

What exactly did she say at the end?

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